Method for Assembling a Vehicle

The present application claims priority to United States Provisional Patent Application No. 63/356,835, filed Jun. 29, 2022, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present technology relates to methods for assembling a vehicle.

Many recent vehicles are powered by one or more electric motors instead of an internal combustion engine. Over the life of a vehicle, an electric vehicle will typically pollute less than a comparable vehicle having an internal combustion engine. Electric vehicles also tend to be quieter than their gas-powered counterparts.

Snowmobiles could also benefit from these advantages of having an electric motor. However, due to the relatively small size of a snowmobile, the need for the snowmobile to float over snow, and the lack of charging infrastructures in many areas where snowmobiles are used, the electrification of snowmobiles has many challenges not faced by other vehicles such as cars.

Vehicle manufacturers that produce vehicles having and internal combustion engine may wish to additionally produce electric vehicles. One way of achieving this consists in developing a frame specifically for accommodating the electric motor, battery pack and associated components of an electric vehicle that differs substantially from the frame of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine. However, this is costly and logistically complex. Furthermore, adapting from assembling a vehicle having an internal combustion engine to assembling an electric vehicle where the frames are substantially different can be difficult.

Therefore, there is a need for a method for assembling a vehicle that addresses at least some of these particular challenges.

It is an object of the present technology to ameliorate at least some of the inconveniences present in the prior art.

According to an aspect of the present technology, there is provided a method for assembling a vehicle. The method comprises: selecting a power unit from: an electric motor, and an internal combustion engine. In response to selecting the electric motor, the method further comprises: disposing a first spacer between a first side of a first frame and a battery pack; connecting the battery pack to a first connection point on the first side of the first frame via the first spacer; disposing a second spacer between a second side of the first frame and the battery pack; connecting the battery pack to a second connection point on the second side of the first frame via the second spacer; and electrically connecting the electric motor to the battery pack. In response to selecting the internal combustion engine, the method further comprises: disposing a first engine mount between a first side of a second frame and the internal combustion engine; connecting the internal combustion engine to a third connection point on the first side of the second frame via the first engine mount; disposing a second engine mount between a second side of the second frame and the internal combustion engine; and connecting the internal combustion engine to a fourth connection point on the second side of the second frame via the second engine mount. A position of the first and second connection points on the first frame and a position of the third and fourth connection points on the second frame are identical.

In some embodiments, the first spacer and the second spacer rigidly connect the battery pack to the first frame; and the first engine mount and the second engine mount each include a vibration damper reducing transmission of vibrations between the internal combustion engine and the second frame.

In some embodiments, a first vector extending from the first connection point to the second connection point has a first magnitude and a first direction; a second vector extending from the third connection point to the fourth connection point has a second magnitude and a second direction; the first magnitude is identical to the second magnitude; and the first direction is identical to the second direction.

In some embodiments, in response to selecting the electric motor, the method further comprises: disposing a third spacer between the first side of the first frame and the battery pack; connecting the battery pack to a fifth connection point on the first side of the first frame via the third spacer; disposing a fourth spacer between the second side of the first frame and the battery pack; connecting the battery pack to a sixth connection point on the second side of the first frame via the fourth spacer; and electrically connecting the electric motor to the battery pack. In response to selecting the internal combustion engine, the method further comprises: disposing a third engine mount between the first side of the second frame and the internal combustion engine; connecting the internal combustion engine to a seventh connection point on the first side of the second frame via the third engine mount; disposing a fourth engine mount between the second side of the second frame and the internal combustion engine; and connecting the internal combustion engine to an eighth connection point on the second side of the second frame via the fourth engine mount. A position of the fifth and sixth connection points on the first frame and a position of the seventh and eighth connection points on the second frame are identical.

In some embodiments, a first vector extending from the first connection point to the second connection point has a first magnitude and a first direction; a second vector extending from the first connection point to the fifth connection point has a second magnitude and a second direction; a third vector extending from the first connection point to the sixth connection point has a third magnitude and a third direction; a fourth vector extending from the third connection point to the fourth connection point has a fourth magnitude and a fourth direction; a fifth vector extending from the third connection point to the seventh connection point has a fifth magnitude and a fifth direction; and a sixth vector extending from the third connection point to the eight connection point has a sixth magnitude and a sixth direction. The first magnitude is identical to the fourth magnitude. The first direction is identical to the fourth direction. The second magnitude is identical to the fifth magnitude. The second direction is identical to the fifth direction. The third magnitude is identical to the sixth magnitude. The third direction is identical to the sixth direction.

In some embodiments, the vehicle is a snowmobile; the first frame is a first subframe; and the second frame is a second subframe. The method further comprises: connecting a selected one of the first and second subframes to a tunnel such that the selected one of the first and second subframe is disposed in front of the tunnel; connecting a seat to the tunnel; operatively connecting at least one ski to the selected one of the first and second subframes; and disposing a drive track at least in part under the tunnel. In response to selecting the electric motor, the method further comprises: operatively connecting the electric motor to the drive track. In response to selecting the internal combustion engine, the method further comprises: operatively connecting internal combustion engine to the drive track.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises, in response to selecting the electric motor: fastening the electric motor to the first side of the first subframe.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises, in response to selecting the electric motor: passing the electric motor through an aperture defined in the first side of the first subframe.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises, in response to selecting the electric motor: operatively connecting the electric motor to the drive track via a reduction drive assembly.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises, in response to selecting the electric motor: connecting a housing of the reduction drive assembly to a side of the tunnel and to the first side of the first subframe.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises: connecting a brace assembly to the tunnel and the selected one of the first and second subframes; and pivotally connecting a steering column to the brace assembly.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises, in response to selecting the electric motor: mounting the brace assembly to the battery pack.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises, in response to selecting the electric motor: passing the steering column through a steering column support bracket, the steering column support bracket being above the battery pack; and connecting a battery bracket between the steering column support bracket and the battery pack.

In some embodiments, connecting the battery bracket between the steering column support bracket and the battery pack comprises: fastening a front end of the battery bracket to the battery pack; fastening a rear end of the battery bracket to the battery pack; and fastening a middle portion of the battery bracket to the steering column support bracket.

In some embodiments, in response to selecting the electric motor, the method further comprises: fluidly connecting a heat exchanger to the electric motor and to the battery pack. In response to selecting the internal combustion engine, the method further comprises: fluidly connecting the heat exchanger to the internal combustion engine.

In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is connected to the tunnel or defines part of the tunnel.

For purposes of this application, terms related to spatial orientation when referring to the vehicle orientation and positioning of its components such as forwardly, rearwardly, left, and right are as they would normally be understood by a driver of the vehicle sitting thereon in a normal riding position.

Embodiments of the present technology each have at least one of the above-mentioned aspects, but do not necessarily have all of them.

Additional and/or alternative features, aspects, and advantages of embodiments of the present technology will become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

1 5 FIGS.to 10 10 12 14 10 10 16 10 16 18 20 18 18 16 With reference to, a snowmobilein accordance with an embodiment of the present technology will be described herein. The snowmobilehas a front endand a rear end, which are defined consistently with the forward travel direction of the snowmobile. The snowmobilehas a framefor supporting the various components of the snowmobile. The frameincludes a tunneland a subframeconnected to the tunneland being disposed in front of the tunnel. The framewill be described in more detail below.

10 22 12 10 20 24 26 22 24 24 26 26 28 28 30 32 30 32 30 34 28 26 22 10 36 34 38 10 10 22 2 FIG. 13 FIG. 13 FIG. 12 FIG. 5 FIG. The snowmobilehas left and right skispositioned at the front endof the snowmobileand connected to the subframethrough left and right front suspension assemblies. Left and right ski legs, also referred to as spindles, connect the left and right skisto the left and right front suspension assembliesrespectively. In the present embodiment, the front suspension assembliesare double A-arm suspension assemblies, but other types of front suspension assemblies are contemplated. As shown infor the right ski leg, the ski legsare connected to steering links. With reference to, the steering linksare operatively connected to a lower end of a steering column. A handlebaris connected to a top end of the steering column. Turning the handlebarpivots the steering columnabout a steering axis(), which in turn pushes or pulls on the steering links, which turns the ski legs, and thereby the skis, which steers the snowmobile. In the present embodiment, a vertical plane(seefor example) containing the steering axisis coplanar with a plane() extending vertically and longitudinally along a center of the snowmobile. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the snowmobilecould have only one central ski.

40 32 18 18 42 18 40 42 44 18 44 40 A straddle seatis disposed rearward of the handlebarover the tunneland is connected to the tunnel. A passenger backrestis connected to the tunneland is disposed at the rear of the straddle seat. It is contemplated that the backrestcould be omitted. Left and right footrestsare connected to and extend outward from the tunnel. The footrestsare vertically lower than the straddle seatto accommodate the driver's and the passenger's feet.

12 10 46 10 10 10 46 48 50 50 52 46 54 46 32 54 10 56 46 58 56 40 30 2 FIG. 32 FIG. At the front endof the snowmobile, fairingsare provided that enclose internal components of the snowmobile, thereby providing an external shell that not only protects these components of the snowmobile, but also make the snowmobilemore aesthetically pleasing. The fairingsinclude a hoodand side panels. The side panelscan be opened to provide access to the internal components of the snowmobile as will be described in more detail below. Headlightsare provided in an opening in the fairings. A display screen() is provided under one of the fairingsin front of the handlebar. The screenis a touch screen that displays information to the driver as well as menus allowing the driver to make various selections regarding the operation of the snowmobileor the information to be displayed. As best seen in, a key receiving postis provided on one of the fairingsto receive a digitally encoded key and lanyard. The key receiving postis disposed longitudinally between the seatand the steering column, but other positions are contemplated. It is contemplate that the key could be a type of key other than a digitally encoded key.

1 FIG. 17 FIG. 60 62 18 60 18 60 64 60 As best shown in, a drive trackis supported by a rear suspension assemblyand is disposed under the tunnel. It is contemplated that the drive trackcould extend rearward of the tunnel. The drive trackis operatively connected to an electric motor() which drives the endless drive track, as will be described in more detail below.

62 18 62 66 68 66 18 18 70 62 72 62 68 18 72 70 74 60 70 76 78 18 60 1 FIG. The rear suspension assemblyis connected to the tunnel. The rear suspension assemblyhas front and rear shock absorbers,. The front shock absorberextends rearwardly and downwardly from a front portion of the tunneland is disposed between the tunneland a slide frame assemblyof the rear suspension assemblypartially forward of front suspension armsof the rear suspension assembly. The rear shock absorberextends forwardly and downwardly from a rear portion of the tunneland is disposed at least in part rearwardly of the front suspension arms. The slide frame assemblyincludes a pair of spaced apart slide railsthat engage the inner side of the ground-engaging portion of the drive track. As best shown in, the slide frame assemblyjournals a plurality of rollers. In addition, further rollersare carried by the tunnelto define the path over which the drive tracktravels. Other types of rear suspension assemblies are contemplated.

80 18 80 10 60 10 80 60 18 10 A snow flapis connected to and extends downward from the rear end of the tunnel. The snow flaphelps prevent snow and ice from being projected upward behind the snowmobileby the drive trackwhile the snowmobileis in motion. The snow flapalso redirects at least some of the snow and ice being projected by the drive trackonto the bottom of the tunnelto assist in cooling coolant used for cooling certain components of the snowmobileas will be described in more detail below.

16 18 FIGS.to 64 60 64 64 64 20 36 38 82 64 84 64 86 64 20 18 86 88 64 90 86 92 82 86 94 82 96 86 90 98 100 96 102 94 98 94 98 102 10 104 18 106 104 104 18 104 86 108 104 110 100 108 100 108 110 94 100 98 108 102 110 96 92 94 98 100 108 102 110 102 110 With reference to, the operative connection between the electric motorand the drive trackwill be described in more detail. The electric motoris a three-phase electric motor. The electric motoris mounted to a right side of the subframeand is completely on a right side of the vertical planes,. An output shaftof the electric motorextends from a right side of a housingof the electric motor. An inner coveris placed over the electric motorand is fastened to a right side of the subframeand to a right side of the tunnel. The inner coverhas a cylindrical portioninside which the electric motoris received. An outer coveris fastened to the inner coverto define a reduction drive housing. The output shaftextends through the inner cover. A drive sprocketis connected to the end of the output shaft. A sprocket shaftis mounted laterally between and is rotationally supported by the inner and outer covers,. A driven sprocketand a drive sprocketare connected to the sprocket shaft. A silent chainis looped around and engages the drive sprocketand the driven sprocket. A silent chain is a type of chain that can transmit power at high efficiency, with reduced vibration, and, as its name suggests, with low noise. The sprockets,and the silent chaintogether define a reduction drive, and more specifically a silent chain drive. It will be noted that in the present embodiment, not chain tensioner is required. The snowmobilehas a drive axledisposed laterally in a front portion of the tunnel. Two drive sprocketsare mounted to the drive axle. A left end of the drive axleis rotationally supported by the tunnel. A right end of the drive axleextends through the inner coverand is rotationally supported thereby. A driven sprocketis connected to the right end of the drive axle. A silent chainis looped around and engages the drive sprocketand the driven sprocket. The sprockets,and the silent chaintogether define another reduction drive, and more specifically a silent chain drive. It will be noted that in the present embodiment, not chain tensioner is required. The drive sprockets,, the driven sprockets,, the silent chains,, and the sprocket shaftare housed inside the reduction drive housingand together define a reduction drive assembly. It should be noted that both reduction drive assemblies are not provided with chain tensioners. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the reduction drive assembly could have only one or more than two reduction drives. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the sprockets,,,and silent chains,could be replaced by gears or by pulleys and belts. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the silent chains,could be replaced by another type of flexible drive element such as drive chains or drive belts.

10 56 53 32 53 54 64 112 112 112 10 114 32 112 114 112 64 82 64 32 FIG. To drive the snowmobile, the driver inserts the digitally encoded key onto the key receiving postand then presses a start button. The driver then selects a drive direction (i.e. forward or reverse) via a button provided on the handlebar. In the present embodiment, this button is the start buttonwhich is a multi-function button. It is contemplated that in other embodiments the drive direction could be selected by a different button or via the touch screen. The forward driving direction is selected by default. This determines the direction of rotation of the electric motor. It is contemplated that the drive direction could be selected via physical buttons, a switch, a lever, or other means. The key identification, start signal, and drive direction selection are all received by a controller. The controllerincludes one or more central processing units (CPUs), and one or more computer readable media. It is contemplated that more than one controllercould be provided, in which case different controllers could be responsible for different functions of the snowmobile. To accelerate, the driver actuates an accelerator, which in the present embodiment is a thumb-actuated leverprovided on the right of the handlebar, as best seen in. The controllerreceives a signal from an accelerator position sensor (not shown) that is representative of a position of the thumb-actuated lever. Based at least in part on the signal from the accelerator position sensor and the selected drive direction, the controllercontrols the power delivered to the electric motorto control the speed and direction of turning of the output shaftof the electric motor.

82 64 94 94 102 98 98 96 100 100 110 108 108 104 106 106 60 60 60 62 10 60 98 94 102 100 104 82 64 The rotation of the output shaftof the electric motorturns the drive sprocket. The drive sprocketdrives the silent chain, which drives the driven sprocket. The driven sprocketdrives the sprocket shaft, which drives the drive sprocket. The drive sprocketdrives the silent chain, which drives the driven sprocket. The driven sprocketdrives the drive axle, which drives the drive sprockets. The drive sprocketshave radial and axial teeth which respectively engage apertures (not shown) in the drive trackand inner lugs (not shown) of the drive track, thereby causing the drive trackto turn around the rear suspension assembly, thereby causing the snowmobileto be propelled forward or rearward depending on the direction of rotation of the drive track. Since the diameter of the driven sprocketis larger than the diameter of the drive sprocket, and the diameter of the driven sprocketis larger than the diameter of the drive sprocket, the drive axleturns slower than the output shaftof the electric motor.

10 116 32 118 104 64 114 5 FIG. 18 FIG. To brake the snowmobile, the driver actuates a brake lever() provided on the left of the handlebar. This actuates a brake caliper with brake pads (not shown) that engage a brake disc() mounted on the left end of the drive axle. It is contemplated that the electric motorcould also provide regenerative braking when the driver releases the thumb-actuated lever.

64 120 120 120 120 196 416 5 120 20 20 120 18 120 104 120 36 38 120 120 120 120 120 32 30 120 23 FIG. 16 FIG. 12 FIG. 12 14 FIGS.to The electric motoris powered by a battery pack. The battery packhas a housing containing a plurality of battery cells. The maximum output voltage of the battery packdepends on the type and number of battery cells being used. In some embodiments, the maximum output voltage of the battery packis in a range betweenvolts and.volts inclusively. The battery packis disposed in part in the subframeand is connected to the subframeas will be described in more detail below. As can be seen in, a rear portion of the battery packextends over a front portion of the tunnel. Most of the battery packis disposed forward of the drive axle(see). As can be seen in, the battery packis positioned such that the vertical planes,pass through the battery pack. With reference to, it can be seen that a width of the battery packis smaller than a height of the battery packand is smaller than a length of the pack. It can also be seen that the battery packis narrower than the handlebar. The steering columnextends over the battery pack.

19 FIG. 23 FIG. 120 122 122 64 120 122 122 120 64 122 120 120 112 120 122 82 64 122 120 18 With reference to, the battery packis electrically connected to an inverterand the inverteris electrically connected to the electric motor. The battery packsupplies direct current to the inverter. The inverterconverts the direct current from the battery packto alternating current and supplies the alternating current to the electric motor. The inverteralso converts the alternating current generated by the electric motor during regenerative braking to direct current and supplies this direct current to the battery packto recharge the battery pack. The controllercontrols the flow of electric current in and out of the battery packand controls the operation of the invertersuch that the output shaftof the electric motorturns in the desired direction and at the desired speed. The inverteris connected to a rear portion of the right side of the battery packand is disposed above a front portion of the tunnel(see).

124 120 124 126 126 120 126 128 126 126 126 124 124 120 120 128 120 240 126 124 128 124 18 40 126 16 40 126 36 38 64 126 40 36 38 126 4 FIG. 7 FIG. A chargeris electrically connected to the battery pack. The chargeris electrically connected to a charging port. In the present embodiment, the charging portis an SAE J1772 AC charging port, but other types of charging ports are contemplated. To recharge the battery pack, an external power source is connected to the charging port. More specifically, a plug() from a charging station (not shown) is connected to the charging port. The charging station supplies alternating current to the charging port. The alternating current is supplied from the charging portto the charger. The chargerconverts this alternating current to direct current and supplies the direct current to the battery packto recharge the battery pack. Instead of a plugfrom a charging station, it is contemplated that a plug of a mobile power cord connected to avolt orvolt power outlet could be plugged in the charging portto power the charger. For purposes of the present application, the plugfrom a charging station will be used in the description provided below, but it should be understood that the plug of a mobile power cord could also be used. The chargeris connected to a top of the tunnel(see) and is disposed under the seat. The charging portis connected to the frameand is disposed to the right of the seat. As such the charging portis disposed on the right side of the planes,and on the same side as the electric motor. It is contemplated that the charging portcould be disposed on the left side of the seatand the planes,. The charging portwill be described in more detail below.

10 130 120 130 10 130 130 18 124 40 130 112 112 112 112 130 52 54 112 132 134 136 130 132 134 136 138 10 136 112 130 10 7 FIG. 19 FIG. 19 FIG. 20 22 FIGS.to The snowmobileis also provided with a secondary batteryhaving a voltage that is lower than the voltage of the battery pack. The secondary batteryis used to power components of the snowmobilethat operate at a lower voltage. In the present embodiment, the second batteryis a 12-volt battery. The secondary batteryis connected to the top of the tunnel(see) behind the chargerand is disposed under the seat. As can be seen in, the secondary batteryis electrically connected to the controllerto supply direct current to the controllerfor powering the controller. The controllercontrols the supply of direct current from the secondary batteryto the headlightsand to the display screen. With reference to, the controlleris electrically connected to a valve, a pumpand a thermistorto supply direct current from the secondary batteryto these components for powering and controlling these components. The valve, the pumpand the thermistorare components of a cooling and heating system() of the snowmobilewhich will be described in more detail below. It is contemplated that in some embodiment, the thermistorcould be replaced by another type of temperature sensor. The controlleralso supplies direct current from the secondary batteryto other components of the snowmobile.

19 FIG. 130 124 130 120 140 10 140 124 120 140 130 120 140 120 130 120 128 126 130 124 120 130 124 124 130 With reference to, the secondary batteryis selectively electrically connected to the charger. The secondary batteryis also selectively electrically connected to the battery packvia a DC-DC converter. During operation of the snowmobile, the secondary batteryis disconnected from the chargerand is connected to the battery packvia the DC-DC convertersuch that the secondary batteryis recharged by the battery pack. The DC-DC converterreduces the voltage of the battery packto the voltage of the secondary battery. When the battery packis being recharged by an external power source (i.e. plugis plugged into the charging port), the secondary batteryis connected to the chargerand is disconnected from the battery packsuch that the secondary batteryis recharged by the external power source via the charger. The chargerhas an integrated DC-DC converter (not shown) to supply power to the secondary batteryat the appropriate voltage.

10 142 138 10 120 10 142 138 120 142 120 10 120 128 126 10 64 120 The snowmobilealso has an electric heaterwhich is part of the cooling and heating system. As the snowmobilegenerally operates in environments where the temperature is below 0 degree Celsius, the battery packand other components of the snowmobileneed to be heated in order to operate efficiently. The heateris used to heat coolant in the cooling and heating system, and the heated coolant is then supplied to the battery packand these other components to heat them as will be described in more detail below. The heateris used to heat the battery packand these other components while the snowmobileis stopped and the battery packis being recharged (i.e. plugis plugged into the charging port). During operation of the snowmobile, the heat generated by the electric motoris transferred to the coolant which then heats the battery packand these other components.

19 FIG. 16 FIG. 142 126 124 142 126 142 112 112 136 138 136 1 142 112 112 120 1 1 138 136 120 126 120 128 126 136 1 134 142 126 142 136 1 132 142 10 126 128 126 120 132 142 136 128 126 112 132 142 120 1 132 142 10 120 10 128 126 142 120 120 142 120 124 142 40 142 40 With reference to, the heateris electrically connected to the charging port. The chargerand the heaterare connected in parallel to the charging port. The heateris only turned on by the controllerwhen a signal received by the controllerfrom the thermistorindicates that the temperature of the coolant in the cooling and heating systemsensed by the thermistoris below a predetermined temperature T. In an alternative embodiment, the heateris only turned on by the controllerwhen a signal received by the controllerfrom a battery temperature sensor (not show) indicates that the temperature of the battery packsensed by the battery temperature sensor is below the predetermined temperature T. It is also contemplated that instead of being a constant, the predetermined temperature Tcould be a variable determined from an algorithm based on one or more of the temperature of the coolant in the cooling and heating systemsensed by the thermistor, the temperature of the battery packsensed by the battery pack temperature sensor, charging requirements, and performance requirements. It is contemplated that other elements could be taken into consideration by such an algorithm. In response to the charging portreceiving power from the external power source when the battery packis being recharged by an external power source (i.e. plugis plugged into the charging port) and in response to the thermistor(or battery temperature sensor) sensing a temperature below the temperature T, the pumpis turned on and the heateris powered from external power source via the charging portsuch that the heateris turned on and heats the coolant flowing therethrough. In response to the thermistor(or battery temperature sensor) sensing a temperature above the temperature T, the pumpis turned off, and the heateris turned off. Similarly, when the snowmobileis not in operation and the charging portis not receiving power from the external power source (i.e. the plugis not plugged into the charging portor the battery packis fully charged for example), the pumpand the heaterare turned off regardless of the temperature sensed by the thermistor(or battery temperature sensor). It is contemplated that when the plugis plugged into the charging port, the controllercould be programmed to turn on the pumpand the heaterfor a predetermined amount of time at regular intervals to maintain the temperature of the battery packabove the predetermined temperature T. It is also contemplated that the pumpand the heatercould be turned on when the snowmobileis started to pre-heat the battery packand other components in preparation for the operation of the snowmobilewhile the plugis plugged into the charging port. As will be noted, the heateris not connected to the battery packfor receiving power from the battery pack. In the present embodiment, the heateris disposed partly over a rear part of the battery packand partly over a front part of chargeras can be seen in. A rear part of the heateris disposed below a front part of the seatand a front part of the heateris disposed in front of the seat.

20 24 FIGS.to 138 138 138 138 Turning now to, the cooling and heating systemand its operation will be described in more detail. It should be noted that since the cooling and heating systemis used for both cooling and heating, it may be referred to herein as the cooling systemor the heating systemdepending on its mode of operation.

23 FIG. 132 134 136 120 134 64 138 144 120 144 138 As can be seen in, the previously described valve, pumpand thermistorare disposed to the right of the battery pack. The pumpis disposed above the electric motor. The cooling and heating systemalso includes an expansion tankdisposed to the right of the battery pack. The expansion tankis at the highest portion of the cooling and heating system.

138 146 146 18 146 18 146 18 18 146 18 18 146 148 150 148 150 151 148 150 146 148 150 151 146 152 154 152 154 151 18 151 146 156 151 18 18 152 156 151 156 151 158 156 146 151 160 158 146 160 151 162 160 146 154 162 158 162 18 10 60 158 162 151 151 80 60 158 162 151 124 146 124 146 146 146 24 FIG. 8 FIG. The cooling systemincludes a heat exchanger. It is contemplated that the heat exchangercould be a heat exchanging unit mounted to a top or a bottom of the tunnel. However, in the present embodiment, the heat exchangerdefines part of the tunnel. More specifically, the heat exchangerdefines part of the top of the tunneland part of the front portion of the tunnel. It is contemplated that the heat exchangercould define only part of the top of the tunnelor only part of the front of the tunnel. With reference to, the heat exchangerhas a top partand a bottom partjoined to the top part. The bottom partdefines a recess such that a passageis defined between the top and bottom parts,of the heat exchangerto permit the flow of coolant therethrough. It is contemplated that the top partcould define a recess in addition to or instead of the recess defined by the bottom partfor defining the passage. The heat exchangerhas an inletand an outlet(see). It is contemplated that in some embodiments elementcould be the outlet and elementcould be the inlet. The passageextends along substantially an entire length of the tunnel. The width of the passagevaries along the length of the heat exchanger. The front partof the passageis defined in the front portion of the tunneland extends along substantially an entire width of the front portion of the tunnel. The inletopens into this front partof the passageon a right side thereof. From the front part, the passagehas a linear portionextending longitudinally rearward from the front partalong a left side of the heat exchanger. The passagehas a rear partconnected to the rear end of the linear portionthat extends laterally along the rear portion of the heat exchanger. From the rear part, the passagehas a linear portionextending longitudinally forward from the rear partalong a right side of the heat exchanger. The outletopens into the front end of the linear portion. As can be seen, the linear portions,extend along substantially an entire length of the top of the tunneland are wider near their rear ends. During operation of the snowmobile, the drive trackspray snow and ice on these wider parts of the linear portions,of the passageto enhance cooling of the coolant flowing in the passage. The snow flapalso redirects snow and ice sprayed thereon by the drive trackonto these wider parts of the linear portions,of the passage. The chargeris connected on top of the heat exchangersuch that the chargerthermally communicates with the heat exchanger. Additional details of a heat exchanger that is similar to the heat exchangerand alternative embodiments thereof are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,406,910 B2, issued Sep. 10, 2019, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other embodiments of the heat exchangerare also contemplated.

23 FIG. 134 64 170 64 172 132 174 136 174 136 64 172 132 172 132 136 138 136 142 122 136 142 136 142 136 176 132 152 146 178 154 146 124 180 124 142 182 184 132 142 186 142 122 188 122 120 120 134 190 144 134 120 192 138 138 144 138 138 138 144 134 144 138 134 138 With reference to, the pumpis fluidly connected to the motorby a pipe. The motoris fluidly connected to an inletof the valveby a pipe. The thermistoris connected to the pipesuch that the thermistorsenses the temperature of coolant flowing from the motorto the inletof the valve, and therefore senses the temperature of the coolant supplied to the inletof the valve. It is contemplated that in alternative embodiments, the thermistorcould be disposed elsewhere in the cooling and heating system. For example, it is contemplated that the thermistorcould be fluidly connected between the heaterand the inverter, or that the thermistorcould be provided at an inlet of the heater, or that the thermistorcould be provided on or in the heater. Other locations of the thermistorare also contemplated. An outletof the valveis fluidly connected to the inletof the heat exchangerby a pipe. The outletof the heat exchangeris fluidly connected to the chargerby a pipe. The chargeris fluidly connected to the heaterby a pipe. An outletof the valveis fluidly connected to the heaterby a pipe. The heateris fluidly connected to the inverterby a pipe. A coolant passage (not shown) of the inverteris fluidly connected to a coolant passage (not shown) of the battery packvia an adapter (not shown). The battery packis fluidly connected to the pumpby a pipe. The expansion tankis fluidly connected between the pumpand the battery packby a pipe. During operation of the cooling and heating system, should the coolant in the systemthermally expand, coolant will flow to the expansion tank. Also, during operation of the cooling and heating system, should the coolant in the systemthermally contract or should the amount of coolant in the systemgo down due to a leak, coolant will flow from the expansion tankto the pump. The expansion tankis also used to fill the cooling and heating systemwith coolant. The pumpis used to circulate coolant between the various components of the cooling and heating systemas will be described below.

20 FIG. 21 22 FIGS.and 20 FIG. 10 112 136 138 136 2 132 176 184 2 138 136 120 10 120 2 136 2 122 120 64 132 112 132 134 134 64 64 172 132 176 132 152 146 151 146 154 146 124 124 142 142 122 122 120 120 134 146 122 120 64 With reference to, during operation of the snowmobile, in response to a signal received by the controllerfrom the thermistorindicating that the temperature of the coolant in the cooling and heating systemsensed by the thermistoris above a predetermined temperature T, the valveis moved to a first position where the outletis open and the outletis closed. It is contemplated that instead of being a constant, the predetermined temperature Tcould be a variable determined from an algorithm based on one or more of the temperature of the coolant in the cooling and heating systemsensed by the thermistor, the temperature of the battery packsensed by the battery pack temperature sensor, power requirements of the electric system, historical power requirements of the electric system, operation mode of the snowmobile, and energy level of the battery pack. It is contemplated that other elements could be taken into consideration by such an algorithm. The temperature Tis greater than the temperature Tl discussed above and referred to below with respect to. The temperature of the coolant sensed by the thermistorbeing above the temperature Tis indicative that the inverter, the battery packand/or the motorare becoming hot and that the coolant needs to be cooled in order to cool these components. It is also contemplated that the valvecould be moved to the first position in response to a signal received by the controllerfrom any component that indicative of an overheat condition of this component. As such, when the valveis in the first position shown in, coolant pumped by the pumpflows sequentially from the pumpto the motor, from the motorto the inletof the valve, from the outletof the valveto the inletof the heater exchanger, then through the passageof the heat exchangerto cool the coolant, from the outletof the heat exchangerto the charger, from the chargerto the heaterwhich is turned off, from the heaterto the inverter, from the inverterto the battery pack, and from the battery packback to the pump. As the coolant which has been cooled by the heat exchangerflows through the inverter, the battery packand the motorit cools these components.

21 FIG. 21 FIG. 10 112 136 138 136 1 132 176 184 136 1 122 120 132 134 134 64 64 64 172 132 184 132 142 142 122 122 120 120 134 64 122 120 132 134 146 124 10 136 1 112 64 64 64 64 64 82 82 10 With reference to, during operation of the snowmobile, in response to a signal received by the controllerfrom the thermistorindicating that the temperature of the coolant in the cooling and heating systemsensed by the thermistoris below the predetermined temperature T, the valveis moved to a second position where the outletis closed and the outletis open. The temperature of the coolant sensed by the thermistorbeing below the temperature Tis indicative that the inverterand/or the battery packare becoming cold and that the coolant needs to be heated in order to heat these components. As such, when the valveis in the second position shown in, coolant pumped by the pumpflows sequentially from the pumpto the motorwhere the coolant is heated by the motor, from the motorto the inletof the valve, from the outletof the valveto the heaterwhich is turned off, from the heaterto the inverter, from the inverterto the battery pack, and from the battery packback to the pump. As the coolant which has been heated by the motorflows through the inverterand the battery pack, it heats these components. As will be noted, when the valveis in the second position, the coolant pumped by the pumpbypasses the heat exchangerand the charger. When the snowmobileis in use but at rest, with the temperature sensed by the thermistorbeing below the temperature Tand with the valve being in the second position, the controllercontrols the electric motorto generate heat to heat the coolant. In one embodiment, the poles of the electric motorare aligned and electric power is applied to the electric motorwhich then acts like a resistive heater. The winding of the electric motorto which power is applied is changed over time. In an alternative embodiment, the electric motoris vibrated by causing the output shaftto turn slightly and quickly back and forth. During vibration, the movement of the output shaftis insufficient to cause the snowmobileto noticeably move forward or backward, but the energy used to do so generates heat that is transferred to the coolant.

22 FIG. 22 FIG. 10 120 128 126 112 136 138 136 1 132 176 184 142 126 136 120 120 132 134 134 64 64 172 132 184 132 142 142 122 122 120 120 134 142 120 120 With reference to, when the snowmobileis stopped and the battery packis being recharged by an external power source (i.e. plugis plugged into the charging port), in response to a signal received by the controllerfrom the thermistorindicating that the temperature of the coolant in the cooling and heating systemsensed by the thermistoris below the predetermined temperature T, the valveis moved to the second position where the outletis closed and the outletis open. Also, as indicated above, the heateris turned on and is powered by the external power source via the charging port. The temperature of the coolant sensed by the thermistorbeing below the temperature Tl is indicative that the battery packis becoming cold and that the coolant needs to be heated in order to heat the battery packto a temperature where it can efficiently charge. As such, when the valveis in the second position shown in, coolant pumped by the pumpflows sequentially from the pumpto the motorwhich is turned off, from the motorto the inletof the valve, from the outletof the valveto the heaterwhich is turned on to heat the coolant, from the heaterto the inverter, from the inverterto the battery pack, and from the battery packback to the pump. As the coolant which has been heated by the heaterflows through the battery pack, it heats the battery pack.

132 120 1 2 138 120 122 64 134 134 142 122 184 132 124 134 142 It is contemplated that in alternative embodiments, the position of the valvecould determined by comparing the temperature of the battery packsensed by the battery temperature sensor to predetermined temperatures T, T. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the order in which the coolant flows through some of the components of the cooling and heating systemcould be different than described above. For example, it is contemplated that coolant could flow through the battery packbefore flowing through the inverter, and that the coolant could flow through the motorbefore flowing through the pump. It is also contemplated that the pumpcould be fluidly connected between the heaterand the inverter, or that coolant from the outletof the valveand the chargercould flow to the pumpand then to the heater.

1 6 25 FIGS.toand 4 FIG. 126 126 40 126 44 126 10 126 128 120 126 128 40 10 128 126 10 With reference to, the charging portand its associated components will now be described in more detail. The charging portfaces generally rearward and is lower than a top of the seat. The charging portis laterally aligned with the right footrest. Although it is contemplated that the charging portcould be located elsewhere on the snowmobilein some embodiments, by having the charging portin this position, when the plugfor recharging the battery packis plugged into the charging portas shown in, the plugwill interfere with the leg of a person desiring to sit on the seatof the snowmobile. As such, this person will realize that the plugis plugged into the charging portand needs to be unplugged before the snowmobilecan be driven.

50 200 50 126 50 202 202 45 50 126 16 50 50 16 10 64 50 200 126 50 16 10 64 204 50 1 FIG. 1 2 4 FIGS.,and 3 5 FIGS.and The right side paneldefines an aperturein a generally vertically extending and generally rearwardly facing surface of the right side panelto provide access to the charging port. The right side panelis pivotable about an axis() defined by a hinge (not shown). In the present embodiment, the pivot axisis at less thandegrees from horizontal. The right side panelcan pivot between a closed position, shown inand an open position shown in. The charging portremains in position relative to the frameas the right side panelpivots between the open and closed positions. In the closed position, the right side panelcovers part of a front right side portion of the frameand some components of the snowmobilesuch as the electric motorand part of the reduction drive assembly. In the closed position of the right side panel, the apertureis aligned with the charging port. In the open position, the right side panelprovides access to the front right side portion of the frameand some components of the snowmobilesuch as the electric motorand part of the reduction drive assembly. Latchesare used to lock the right side panelin the closed position.

206 126 206 208 126 210 208 210 126 210 126 126 210 50 206 200 50 206 50 208 212 210 214 210 210 216 210 210 3 FIG. 3 FIG. 4 FIG. 25 FIG. A door assemblyis connected to the charging port. The door assemblyhas a base() mounted to the charging portand a doorpivotally connected to the base. The doorselectively covers the charging port. More specifically, the doorpivots between a closed position covering the charging port() and an open position providing access to the charging port(). A spring (not shown) biases the doortoward the closed position. When the right side panelis in the closed position, the door assemblyis received in the aperture. When the right side panelis moved to the open position, the door assembly, and therefore the door, remains in position and does not move with the right side panel. With reference to, the basedefines a recessand the doorhas a truncated cornerthat make it easier to reach under the doorto lift the doorto the open position. This is useful when the user is wearing gloves or mittens. Ribsare also provided on the doorto make handling of the dooreasier.

26 32 FIGS.to 218 220 222 224 206 218 220 222 224 206 206 illustrate door assemblies,,andthat are alternative embodiments of the door assembly. For simplicity, elements of the door assemblies,,andthat are similar to those of the door assemblyhave been labeled with the same reference numerals as those used to label the elements of the door assembly.

26 27 FIGS.and 218 210 218 226 226 228 230 230 232 208 210 228 230 232 210 illustrate the door assembly. The doorof the door assemblyhas a spring-loaded latchat its lower end. The latchhas a leverand a hook. The hookis selectively engaged in a portdefined in the baseto lock the doorin the closed position. Pressing the leverdisengages the hookfrom the port, thereby allowing the doorto be moved to the open position.

28 FIG. 220 210 234 234 218 210 128 126 illustrates the door assembly. In this embodiment, the doorhas side walls. These side wallsshield the sides of the plugwhen the dooris in the open position and the plugis connected to the charging portas shown.

29 FIG. 222 210 228 236 236 238 208 210 236 238 210 236 238 210 210 236 238 210 illustrates the door assembly. The doorof the door assemblyhas a tongueat its lower end. The tongueis selectively engaged in a portdefined in the baseand having an internal mechanism to lock the doorin the closed position. The tongue, the portand its internal mechanism together define a push-latch. Pressing down on the doornear its lower end disengages the tonguefrom the port, thereby allowing the doorto be moved to the open position. Closing the doormoves the tonguein the portand locks the doorin the closed position.

30 32 FIGS.to 32 FIG. 224 50 210 240 210 50 50 illustrate the door assembly. In this embodiment, the base is integrated to the right side panel. The dooris removable and is connected to the right side panel by a strap. As such, the doormoves with the right side panelas the right side panelmoves between the open and closed positions as shown in.

7 15 FIGS.to 16 10 16 18 20 18 18 44 18 18 18 16 250 250 18 20 18 250 120 120 16 Turning now to, the frameof the snowmobilewill be described in more detail. As previously described, the framehas a tunnel, a subframeconnected to the tunneland being disposed in front of the tunnel, and footrestsconnected to and extending outward from the tunnel. In the present embodiment, the footrests are integrally connected to the tunnel, but it is contemplated that the footrests could be separate parts that are connected to the tunnelvia fasteners or welding for example. The framealso has a brace assembly. The brace assemblyis connected to the tunneland the subframeand extends in part forward of the tunnel. As will be described below, the brace assemblyis also mounted to the battery packsuch that the battery packforms a structural component of the frame.

18 146 252 44 152 252 254 The tunnelhas a top, which is defined by the heat exchangerin the present embodiment, and left and right sides. The footrestsextend from the lower ends of the sides. Each of the sidesdefines a longitudinally extending beveled surfaceat its upper end.

20 256 258 260 258 260 256 20 258 260 20 18 260 20 262 64 262 260 86 92 260 20 252 18 8 FIG. The subframeis made of three main parts: a center portion, a left sideand a right side. The front ends of the left and right sides,are fastened to the center portionsuch that, when viewed from above, the subframeis generally U-shaped. The rear ends of the left and right sides,of the subframeare fastened to the front of the tunnel. The right sideof the subframedefines an aperture(). The electric motorextends through this apertureand is fastened to the right side. The inner coverof the reduction drive housingis fastened to the right sideof the subframeand to the right sideof the tunnel.

120 20 18 120 20 264 266 268 270 264 266 258 20 120 120 258 20 268 270 260 20 120 120 260 20 264 266 268 270 120 20 120 120 258 260 20 264 266 268 270 20 120 11 FIG. 39 39 FIGS.A toD The lower portion of the battery packis received in a space defined by subframe, as best seen in, in front of the tunnel. Battery packis connected to the subframeby spacers,,,. The front and rear left spacers,are disposed between the left sideof the subframeand the battery packand connect the battery packto the left sideof the subframe. The front and rear right spacers,are disposed between the right sideof the subframeand the battery packand connect the battery packto the right sideof the subframe. The spacers,,,rigidly connect the battery packto the subframe. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, there may be only one or more than two spacers on each side of the battery packfor connecting the battery packto the corresponding sideorof the subframe. Using spacers such as the spacers,,,, allows a family of snowmobiles having different widths of subframeand/or different widths of power packto be assembled as will be described further below with reference to.

250 250 272 274 276 30 276 120 276 250 276 120 278 120 64 250 280 276 120 10 11 FIGS.and In the present embodiment, the brace assemblyis a pyramidal brace assemblyhaving two rear legsand two front legsthat connect to a steering column support bracket. The steering columnpasses through and is supported by the steering column support bracketwhich is disposed above the battery pack. The steering column support bracketdefines an apex of the pyramidal brace assembly. The steering column support bracketis disposed over the battery packsuch that a vertically and laterally extending plane() passing through the apex also passes through the battery packand the electric motor. The brace assemblyalso includes a battery bracketconnected between the steering column support bracketand the battery pack.

272 254 252 18 276 272 254 252 18 276 272 272 272 120 272 272 120 The rear left leghas a rear end connected to the beveled surfaceof the left sideof the tunneland a front end connected to the steering column support bracket. The rear right leghas a rear end connected to the beveled surfaceof the right sideof the tunneland a front end connected to the steering column support bracket. As can be seen, the rear legsextend upward, forward and laterally inward from their rear ends to their front ends. As such, the rear ends of the rear legsare spaced further from each other than the front ends of the rear legs. The battery packis disposed laterally between the rear ends of the rear legs. The front ends of the rear legsare disposed over the battery pack.

274 276 256 20 274 276 256 20 274 274 274 120 274 274 120 The front left leghas a rear end connected to the steering column support bracketand a front end connected to the center portionof the subframe. The front right leghas a rear end connected to the steering column support bracketand a front end connected to the center portionof the subframe. As can be seen, the front legsextend downward, forward and laterally outward from their rear ends to their front ends. As such, the front ends of the front legsare spaced further from each other than the rear ends of the front legs. The battery packis disposed laterally between the front ends of the front legs. The rear ends of the front legsare disposed over the battery pack.

13 15 FIGS.to 15 FIG. 15 FIG. 280 280 282 120 284 282 286 282 284 280 120 280 288 120 290 284 290 288 292 288 290 280 120 280 294 276 296 280 276 298 296 294 298 296 294 With reference to, it can be seen that the battery brackethas an arcuate lateral profile. The battery brackethas two front bracket arms. A portion of a top of the battery packdefines a bossthat is received between the two front bracket arms. A fastener() extends laterally through the front of the front bracket armsand the bossto fasten the front end of the battery bracketto the battery pack. The battery brackethas two rear bracket arms. A portion of a top of the battery packdefines a bossrearward of the boss. The bossis received between the two rear bracket arms. A fastener() extends laterally through the rear of the rear bracket armsand the bossto fasten the rear end of the battery bracketto the battery pack. The middle portion of the battery brackethas left and right laterally extending battery bracket tabs. The steering column support brackethas left and right laterally extending steering column support bracket tabs. The middle portion of the battery bracketis connected to the steering column support bracketby a longitudinally extending left fastenerfastening the left steering column support bracket tabto the left battery bracket taband by a longitudinally extending right fastenerfastening the right steering column support bracket tabto the right battery bracket tab.

39 39 FIGS.A toD 10 20 120 264 266 268 270 264 266 268 270 Turning now to, a method for assembling an electric snowmobile will be described. The electric snowmobile has the same or similar components as the snowmobiledescribed above, but the subframe, the battery packand the spacers,,,are selected from various different available versions of these components. As such, a family of electric snowmobiles each having different characteristics can be assembled using a limited number of components. As described above, using spacers such as the spacers,,,allows this to be achieved.

20 20 20 20 120 120 120 120 120 120 20 20 120 120 20 120 20 120 20 120 20 120 39 FIG.A 39 FIG.B 39 FIG.C 39 FIG.D The method begins with selecting a subframe from two subframesA,B. The subframeB is wider than the subframeA. Then, a battery pack is selected from two battery packsA,B. The battery packA is narrower than the battery packB. The wider battery packB contains more battery cells than the battery packA, and therefore has more usable energy. It is contemplated that the battery pack could be selected before the subframe. As such, by selecting from two different subframesA,B and two different battery packsA,B, four different combinations of subframes and battery packs are possible: the subframeA with the battery packA (), the subframeA with the battery packB (), the subframeB with the battery packB (), and the subframeB with the battery packA (). It is contemplated that the subframe could be selected from more than two subframes and that the battery pack could be selected from more than two battery packs. It is also contemplated that only one subframe may be available and that the battery pack could be selected from two or more battery pack It is also contemplated that only one battery pack may be available and that the subframe could be selected from two or more subframes.

20 20 120 120 20 120 264 266 268 270 Then, based on the selected ones of the subframesA,B and battery packsA,B, a set of spacers is selected. The set of spacers that is selected to correspond to the lateral distance between the selected subframe and the selected battery pack such that the set of spacers can connect the selected battery pack to the subframe in the manner described above with respect to the subframe, the battery packand the spacers,,,.

39 FIG.A 20 120 264 266 268 270 120 20 120 20 264 266 268 270 With reference to, in response to selecting the subframeA and the battery packA, spacersA,A,A andA are disposed between the battery packA and the sides of the subframeA, and the battery packA is connected to the sides of the subframeA via the spacersA,A,A andA.

39 FIG.B 20 120 264 266 268 270 120 20 120 20 264 266 268 270 120 20 120 20 264 268 264 268 266 270 266 270 With reference to, in response to selecting the subframeA and the battery packB, spacersB,B,B andB are disposed between the battery packB and the sides of the subframeA, and the battery packB is connected to the sides of the subframeA via the spacersB,B,B andB. As the lateral distance between the battery packA and the sides of the subframeA is greater than the lateral distance between the battery packB and the sides of the subframeA, the combined width of the spacersA,A is greater than the combined width of the spacersB,B, and the combined width of the spacersA,A is greater than the combined width of the spacersB,B.

39 FIG.C 20 120 264 266 268 270 120 20 120 20 264 266 268 270 120 120 120 20 264 266 268 270 120 120 120 20 With reference to, in response to selecting the subframeB and the battery packB, spacersA,A,A andA are disposed between the battery packB and the sides of the subframeB, and the battery packB is connected to the sides of the subframeB via the spacersA,A,A andA. In the present embodiment, the lateral distance between the battery packA and the sides of the subframeA is the same as the lateral distance between the battery packB and the sides of the subframeB, the same spacersA,A,A andA can be used in both combinations. It is contemplated that the lateral distance between the battery packA and the sides of the subframeA could be different from the lateral distance between the battery packB and the sides of the subframeB, in which case different sets of spacers would be used in the two combinations.

39 FIG.D 20 120 264 266 268 270 120 20 120 20 264 266 268 270 120 20 120 20 264 268 264 268 266 270 266 270 With reference to, in response to selecting the subframeB and the battery packA, spacersC,C,C andC are disposed between the battery packA and the sides of the subframeB, and the battery packA is connected to the sides of the subframeB via the spacersC,C,C andC. As the lateral distance between the battery packA and the sides of the subframeB is greater than the lateral distance between the battery packA and the sides of the subframeA, the combined width of the spacersC,C is greater than the combined width of the spacersA,A, and the combined width of the spacersC,C is greater than the combined width of the spacersA,A.

20 20 18 20 300 20 252 18 20 18 20 20 18 120 120 20 20 20 20 18 250 20 20 18 The selected one of the subframesA,B is connected to the tunnel. When the wider subframeB is selected, spacersare disposed between the sides of the subframeB and the sidesof the tunneland are used to connect the subframeB to the tunnel. It is contemplated that the selected one of the subframesA,B could connected to the tunnelbefore the selected one of the battery packsA,B is connected to the selected one of the subframesA,B. After the selected one of the subframesA,B is connected to the tunnel, the brace assemblyis connected to the selected one of the subframesA,B and to the tunnel.

Other steps of assembling the snowmobile, some of which are described hereafter, are also performed. The order of these steps may vary. At least some of these steps may be performed before the be performed before or between the steps described above.

40 18 22 20 20 60 18 18 64 262 260 20 20 260 64 120 120 122 64 60 92 260 20 20 252 18 20 86 92 252 18 250 18 20 20 250 120 120 30 250 30 276 280 276 120 120 146 64 120 120 13 15 FIGS.to The seatis connected to the tunnel. The skisare operatively connected to the selected on of the subframesA,B. The drive trackis disposed at least in part under the tunneland is operatively connected to the tunnel. The electric motoris passed through the aperturein the right sideof the selected one of the subframesA,B and is fastened to the right side. The electric motoris electrically connected to the selected one of the battery packsA,B via the inverter. The electric motoris operatively connected to the drive trackvia the reduction drive assembly. The reduction drive housingof reduction drive assembly is connected to right sidethe selected one of the subframesA,B and the right sideof the tunnel. When the wider subframeB is selected, one or more spacers (not shown) are used to connect the inner coverof the reduction drive housingto the right sideof the tunnel. The brace assemblyis connected to the tunneland the selected one of the subframesA,B. The brace assemblyis also mounted to the selected one of the battery packsA,B. The steering columnis pivotally connected to the brace assemblyby passing the steering columnthrough the steering column support bracket. The battery bracketis connected between the steering column bracketand the selected one of the battery packsA,B, as described above with respect to. The heat exchangeris fluidly connected to the electric motorand to the selected one of the battery packsA,B.

40 43 FIGS.to 40 FIG. 43 FIG. 44 FIG. 42 43 FIGS.and 39 39 FIGS.A toD 40 43 FIGS.and 120 264 266 268 270 264 266 268 270 20 20 264 266 268 270 20 264 266 268 270 20 20 20 With reference to, in an alternative method of assembling a snowmobile, the same battery packC can be connected to two different frames that are structurally different using spacersD,D,D,D or spacersE,E,E,E. As such, a family of electric snowmobiles each having different characteristics can be assembled using a limited number of components. The two frames are a subframeD () and a subframeE () for snowmobiles, but as will be described below with reference to, it is contemplated that in alternative embodiments, the frame could be a frame for a different type of vehicle. As can be seen in, the spacersD,D,D,D are used with the subframeD and the spacersE,E,E,E are used with the subframeE. In this embodiment, the structural difference between the subframes is not the width as in. As can be seen by comparing, in this embodiment, the structural difference between the subframesD andE is their shapes.

264 266 268 270 264 266 268 270 264 266 268 270 120 264 266 268 270 264 266 268 270 264 266 268 270 120 20 20 20 264 266 268 270 120 20 20 264 266 268 270 120 20 264 266 268 270 264 266 268 270 20 20 20 20 41 FIG. 43 FIG. 41 43 FIGS.and As a result of this structural difference, the spacersD,D,D,D (see) are different from the spacersE,E,E,E (see) as can be seen by comparing. However, the spacersD,D,D,D connect to the same connection points on the battery packC as the spacersE,E,E,E. The spacersD,D,D,D and the spacersE,E,E,E are shaped to provide a connection between these connections points on the battery packC and the corresponding connection points on the subframesD andE respectively. In the present embodiment, the connection points on the subframeD used for connecting spacersD,D,D,D between the battery packC and the subframeD are in the same position as the connection points on the subframeE used for connecting spacersE,E,E,E between the battery packC and the subframeE, but the structural differences requires the spacersD,D,D,D to be different from the spacersE,E,E,E in order to avoid interference with their corresponding framesD,E. It is contemplated that the position of the connection points on the frameD could be different from the position of the connection points on the frameE.

20 20 20 20 264 266 268 270 264 266 268 270 The method begins with selecting the subframeD or the subframeE. It is contemplated that the subframe could be selected from more than two subframes. Then, based on the selected one of the subframesD,E a set of spacers is selected: the spacersD,D,D,D or the spacersE,E,E,E.

42 FIG. 20 264 266 268 270 120 20 120 20 264 266 268 270 With reference to, in response to selecting the subframeD, the spacersD,D,D andD are disposed between the battery packC and the sides of the subframeD, and the battery packC is connected to the sides of the subframeD via the spacersD,D,D andD.

43 FIG. 20 264 266 268 270 120 20 120 20 264 266 268 270 With reference to, in response to selecting the subframeE, the spacersE,E,E andE are disposed between the battery packC and the sides of the subframeE, and the battery packC is connected to the sides of the subframeE via the spacersE,E,E andE.

120 20 20 39 39 FIGS.A toD Once the battery packC is connected to the selected one of the subframesD andE, the other components of the snowmobile are assembled as described above with respect to.

20 400 402 44 FIG. In an alternative embodiment, instead of selecting between two snowmobile frames, the frame is selected between frames of different types vehicles and the same battery pack can be connected to either frames. In the present example, the frame is selected between the frame of a snowmobile having the subframeD and the frameof a motorcycleshown in. It is contemplated that the two types of vehicles could be two other types of vehicles, or that the frame could be selected between frames of more than just two types of vehicles. The other types of vehicles contemplated include, but at not limited to, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), side-by-side vehicles (SSVs), and three-wheeled straddle-seat vehicles.

402 404 406 400 408 400 410 412 410 408 414 400 120 400 414 414 120 412 44 FIG. The motorcyclehas front wheelconnected to a handlebar, both of which are pivotally connected to the frame, and a rear wheelpivotally connected to the frameby a swing arm. An electric motoris connected to the swing armand drives the rear wheel. A straddle-seatis supported by the frame. The batteryC is connected to the frameusing four spacers(only two of which are schematically shown in, the two other spacersbeing on the right side of the battery packC) as described below and is electrically connected to the motor.

20 400 264 266 268 270 414 264 266 268 270 120 414 264 266 268 270 414 120 20 400 41 FIG. As the subframeD and the frameare structurally different, the spacersD,D,D,D (see) are different from the spacers. However, the spacersD,D,D,D connect to the same connection points on the battery packC as the spacers. The spacersD,D,D,D and the spacersare shaped to provide a connection between these connections points on the battery packC and the corresponding connection points on the subframesD and the framerespectively.

20 400 402 20 400 264 266 268 270 414 The method begins with selecting the subframeD for the snowmobile or the framefor the motorcycle. Then, based on the selected one of the subframeD and the frame, a set of spacers is selected: the spacersD,D,D,D or the spacers.

20 264 266 268 270 120 20 120 20 264 266 268 270 As in the method previously described above, in response to selecting the subframeD, the spacersD,D,D andD are disposed between the battery packC and the sides of the subframeD, and the battery packC is connected to the sides of the subframeD via the spacersD,D,D andD. The rest of the snowmobile is then assembled as described above.

44 FIG. 400 414 120 400 120 400 414 412 120 With reference to, in response to selecting the frame, the spacersare disposed between the battery packC and the sides of the frame, and the battery packC is connected to the sides of the framevia the spacers. The rest of the motorcycle is then assembled, which includes electrically connecting the motorto the battery packC.

In yet another alternative embodiment, instead of selecting between two snowmobile frames and then connecting the battery pack to the selected one of the frames, the it is the power unit that is selected between different power units. As such, a family of vehicles each having different power units can be assembled using a limited number of components.

64 500 46 FIG. In the present example, the power unit is selected between an electric motor such as the electric motordescribe above and an internal combustion engine().

120 20 264 266 268 270 20 64 500 500 20 502 504 506 508 20 20 20 520 20 102 510 512 514 516 20 20 20 20 510 512 514 516 20 20 510 512 514 516 20 20 510 512 20 510 512 20 510 514 20 510 514 20 510 516 20 510 516 20 45 FIG. In this embodiment, when the electric motor is selected, the battery packC is connected to the subframeD using the spacersD,D,D,D, and the motor is connected to the subframeD in the same manner as described above for the electric motor. When the engineis selected, the engineis connected to a subframeF using engine mounts,,,(). The subframesD andF differ from each other in that the subframeF has frame membersat a front thereof which are not present on the subframeD because they would interfere with the installation of the battery packC. As such, connection points,,,on the subframesD andF are in the same position. It is contemplated that there could be other differences between the subframesD,F while keeping the connection points,,,in the same positions. It is also contemplated that the subframesD,F could be identical. As the connection points,,,on the subframesD andF are in the same position, a direction and a magnitude of a vector extending from the connection pointto the connection pointof the subframeD are identical to a direction and a magnitude of a vector extending from the connection pointto the connection pointof the subframeF; a direction and a magnitude of a vector extending from the connection pointto the connection pointof the subframeD are identical to a direction and a magnitude of a vector extending from the connection pointto the connection pointof the subframeF; and a direction and a magnitude of a vector extending from the connection pointto the connection pointof the subframeD are identical to a direction and a magnitude of a vector extending from the connection pointto the connection pointof the subframeF.

120 500 120 264 266 268 270 120 20 500 502 504 506 508 500 20 264 266 268 270 510 512 514 516 20 20 502 504 506 508 64 500 264 266 268 270 502 504 506 508 510 512 514 516 20 20 120 500 As the battery packC and the engineare structurally different, the connection points on the battery packC used for connecting the spacersD,D,D,D between the battery packC and the subframeD are not in the same position as the connection points on the engineused for connecting the engine mounts,,,between the engineand the subframeF. However, the spacersD,D,D,D connect to the connection points,,,(some of which are hidden in the figures) on the subframeD which are in the same position on the subframeF for connecting the engine mounts,,,. This makes manufacturing the vehicle with an electric motorand the vehicle with the internal combustion enginesimpler as factory workers can more easily adapt between assembling the two types of vehicles. The spacersD,D,D,D and the engine mounts,,,are shaped to provide a connection between these connections points,,,on the subframesD,F and the corresponding connection points on the battery packC and the enginerespectively.

264 266 268 270 120 20 502 504 506 508 518 500 20 The spacersD,D,D,D provide a rigid connection between the battery packC and the subframeD. The engine mounts,,,each include an elastomeric damperfor reducing the transmission of vibrations between the engineand the subframeF.

500 500 20 20 264 266 268 270 502 504 506 508 The method begins with selecting the power unit between the electric motor and the internal combustion engine. Then, based on the selected one of the motor and the engine, the frameD orF is selected, and the spacersD,D,D,D or the engine mounts,,,are selected.

264 266 268 270 120 20 120 20 264 266 268 270 As in the method previously described above, in response to selecting the electric motor, the spacersD,D,D andD are disposed between the battery packC and the sides of the subframeD, and the battery packC is connected to the sides of the subframeD via the spacersD,D,D andD. The rest of the snowmobile is then assembled as described above.

45 46 FIGS.and 500 502 504 506 508 500 20 500 20 502 504 506 508 522 20 522 500 60 146 500 With reference to, in response to selecting the engine, the the engine mounts,,,are disposed between the engineand the sides of the subframeF, and the engineis connected to the sides of the subframeF via the the engine mounts,,,. A side supportis connected to the left side of the subframeF. The side supportis used to support a driven CVT pulley and a jackshaft (not shown) used to transmit torque from the engineto the drive track. The rest of the snowmobile is then assembled, which includes fluidly connecting the heat exchangerto the engine.

33 38 FIGS.to 33 38 FIGS.to 1 32 FIGS.to 64 60 Turning now to, an alternative embodiment of an operative connection between the electric motorand the drive trackwill be described. Components shown in the embodiment ofthat are the same or similar to those described above with respect tohave been labeled with the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

64 350 252 18 252 18 64 252 18 44 64 252 18 64 60 64 18 64 82 64 84 64 64 252 18 35 FIG. In this embodiment, the electric motorextends through an aperturein a right sideof the tunneland is fastened to the right sideof the tunnel. As a result, part of the electric motoris disposed laterally outward of the right sideof the tunnelover the right footrestand part of the electric motoris disposed laterally inward of the right sideof the tunnel. Part of electric motoris laterally between the lateral edges of the drive trackas can be seen in. The electric motoris vertically lower than the top of the tunnel. The electric motoris oriented such that the output shaftof the electric motorextends from a left side of the housingof the electric motor. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the electric motorcould be mounted to the left sideof the tunnel.

352 354 354 252 18 60 354 352 82 64 356 82 64 354 64 352 352 60 60 62 10 60 352 35 FIG. Two drive sprocketsare connected to a drive sleeveand rotate therewith. As can be seen in, the drive sleeveis disposed laterally between the sidesof the tunneland laterally between the lateral edges of the drive track. The drive sleeve, and therefore the drive sprockets, are operatively connected to the output shaftof the electric motor. A reduction gearsetis operatively connected between the output shaftof the electric motorand the drive sleevesuch that the electric motorcan drive the drive sprocketsas will be described in more detail below. The drive sprocketshave axial teeth which engage inner lugs (not shown) of the drive track, thereby causing the drive trackto turn around the rear suspension assembly, thereby causing the snowmobileto be propelled forward or rearward depending on the direction of rotation of the drive track. It is contemplated that there could be only one or more than two drive sprockets.

358 354 352 82 352 254 358 64 358 358 252 18 360 262 358 360 252 18 360 362 360 18 362 18 364 362 252 18 360 358 354 358 352 64 352 354 356 358 18 120 An axleextends through the drive sleeveand the drive sprockets. The output shaft, the drive sprockets, the drive sleeveand the axleare coaxial. The electric motoris disposed on the right side of the axle. The left end of the axleis connected to the left sideof the tunnelvia two rings,. The left end of the axleis received inside the ring. The left sideof the tunnelis sandwiched between the two rings,, with the ringbeing disposed inside the tunneland the ringbeing disposed outside the tunnel. Fastenersextend through the ring, the left sideof the tunnel, and the ringto fasten these components to each other. As such, in the present embodiment, the axleis rotationally fixed and the drive sleeverotates about the axlewith the drive sprockets. As the electric motor, the drive sprockets, the drive sleeve, the reduction gearsetand the axleare disposed behind the front of the tunnel, part of the battery packis disposed forward of these components.

37 38 FIGS.and 38 FIG. 356 356 356 354 356 366 368 370 372 368 With reference to, in the present embodiment, the reduction gearsetis a planetary gearset, but it is contemplated that in other embodiments as different type of reduction gearset could be used. The planetary gearsetis disposed inside of the drive sleeveas can be seen in. The planetary gearsethas a sun gear, three planet gears, a ring gearand a holder. It is contemplated that there could be more of less than three planet gears.

372 374 84 64 358 372 372 372 376 The holderhas a flangefastened to the housingof the electric motor. The right end of the axleis connected to the holder. As such the holderis rotationally fixed. The holderdefines three windows.

366 82 64 366 372 368 366 366 366 368 372 368 372 82 64 368 368 366 366 376 372 376 370 354 354 370 366 366 368 372 370 368 366 370 82 366 368 370 354 352 370 82 64 The sun gearis connected to and rotates with the output shaftof the electric motor. The sun gearis disposed inside the holder. The planet gearsare disposed about the sun gearand engage the sun gearto be driven by the sun gear. The planet gearsare rotationally mounted on shafts (not shown) connected to the holder. The planet gearsare rotationally connected to the holdervia these shafts such that when the output shaftof the electric motorturns, the planet gearsrotate about their respective shafts, but the shafts and therefore the gearsdo not rotate around the sun gear. Each planet gearis aligned with one of the windowsand protrudes from the holderby the windows. The ring gearis connected to the inside of the drive sleeveso as to rotate with and drive the drive sleeve. The ring gearis coaxial with the sun gearand is disposed around the sun gear, the planet gearsand part of the holder. The ring gearengages and is driven by the planet gearswhich are disposed radially between the sun gearand the ring gear. In response to rotation of the output shaft, the sun geardrives the planet gears, which drive the ring gear, which drive the drive sleeveand drive sprockets. The ring gearturns slower than the output shaftof the electric motor.

378 354 358 380 354 378 380 354 358 A bearingis provided between the left end of the drive sleeveand the axle. A bearingis provided between the right end of the drive sleeve. The bearings,rotationally connect the drive sleeveto the axle.

382 82 64 384 82 10 384 358 82 382 18 252 18 352 354 382 64 A brake assemblyis connected to the output shaftof the electric motorvia a brake shaftto brake the output shaftand thereby decelerate the snowmobile. The brake shaftpasses through the axleand is coaxial with the output shaft. The brake assemblyis disposed outside the tunnelto the left of the left sideof the tunnel. As such, the drive sprocketsand the drive sleeveare disposed laterally between the brake assemblyand the electric motor.

382 382 382 386 384 388 390 386 388 116 38 FIG. In the present embodiment, the brake assemblyis a disc brake assembly, but other types of brake assemblies are contemplated. The disc brake assemblyhas a discconnected to the end of the brake shaft. A brake caliper assemblyincluding brake pads() straddles a top part of the disc. The brake caliper assemblyis hydraulically actuated in response to actuation of the brake lever.

Modifications and improvements to the above-described embodiments of the present technology may become apparent to those skilled in the art. The foregoing description is intended to be exemplary rather than limiting. The scope of the present technology is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.